I regret buying a Blade 350 QX for the purposes of aerial photography.

One of my main gripes is the body spares availability in the UK. I have been waiting 6 weeks for a new body replacement and there is no light at the end of the tunnel from agents. I have to point out, it is not their fault, but Blade themselves.

Another main gripe is that there is no FPV feedback from a GoPro camera (The most commonly preferred camera) for the purpose of composing video and still shots. The Wi-Fi on the GoPro camera interferes with the aircraft control systems, and despite attempting to carry out the now famous shielding trick one can view on U-Tube, it still does not work to my satisfaction, if at all, and in my mind, the aircraft is not reliable and UNSAFE to fly in this configuration. The question I ask - Should it REALLY be necessary for me to buy a model that requires modification to fit a GoPro camera? Perhaps another make of camera might be the order of the day but having spent out £180 on a GoPro, why should I change cameras?

Having said the above however, if you are not interested in aerial photography then the Blade 350QX is 5 star for the purpose of fun flying.

I had a Phantom FC40 demonstrated to me recently in which video was relayed to a smart phone from the already factory fitted camera, and he made me a generous offer which I am going to accept.

I have heard of the now famous 'Phantom flyaways' but the problem can reduced greatly by taking steps that are numerous on U-Tube, the chief one I have been told, is to place your mobile on flight mode - my research continues however.

The above situation could have been avoided if I had done my research and NOT listened to the opinion of other people. At the end of the day, it is my fault for my lack of research that I find myself in the present predicament.

However, on a recent visit to the Talyllyn Railway I did manage to get some shots, three of which are below.

Let out clause : Yes, I did have the landowners permission and I adhered to CAA guidelines, something you must research up on if you are thinking of starting up this hobby - especially if you plan to wear goggles that relay the cameras picture to you - usually known as FPV (First Person View)

Well despite your problems the pictures look great ! Dont think i would fly that near to the station though ! I have a Sky king heli - i have modified it ( shortened the tail boom ) Have mounted the camera under the nose to keep the C. G. in the righ place. One of the main drive gears started sliping so had to key it to shaft. Now having problems with battery packs, or at least thats what it looks like but-----

Well despite your problems the pictures look great ! Dont think i would fly that near to the station though ! I have a Sky king heli - i have modified it ( shortened the tail boom ) Have mounted the camera under the nose to keep the C. G. in the righ place. One of the main drive gears started sliping so had to key it to shaft. Now having problems with battery packs, or at least thats what it looks like but-----

david

Hi Dave,

Have a look at GIMP - its a photo processing program and is FREE to download.

I was nowhere near the station - I zoomed in on GIMP which makes it look closer.

Its a good trick and you fell for it.

Seriously though, I was about 400 feet away from the nearest building.

With GIMP you can correct GoPro lens distortion, rotate, zoom in on a subject etc. A great photo processing program and much easier to use than Photoshop.

Good luck with your Sky King. What camera are you using and is it gimballed?

How about a pic when you have the time.

BO

Why don't you just get a wee cheapy digital camera put it on continuous shoot and through it up in the air? The kids will love it too if there's a prize for the one that catches it!

First the heli - Sky King The 11. 1 volt one ( MK1 ? ) I shortened the boom as it not only looked daft it was only happy flying --- backwards ! ajusted the C. G. Gave it a try in the workshop -very bad vibration. On inspection ( over two days ) i finaly found the problem - the main ( drive gear while looking O. K. was in fact slipping on its shaft. Stripped the heli down and fitted a key to lock the lot together. Did take it to our sports field one evening thinking it was flat calm--- but the ******** thing had no penitration ! then the battery died, these batterys are a pain to charge having to use a balancer to do it, the MK2 Sky King uses a 7. 2 volt battery--- wonder why !

Camera,- Its a Fly D. V. D, picture quality on both video and still is ----- rubbish ! So my outfit is to say the leasy not very good-- looks like the Sky King might become a hanger queen.

Funny that. I had two Perkins police helis and on both the grub screws worked themselves loose on the main drive shaft, so a quick removal and a touch of Locktite soon settled that problem. The torque on start up is quite a pressure exertion on the screws and its no wonder they came loose. The Hubsan Lynx FPV suffered the same way - which I am getting rid of shortly to a friend in Wales - I hope. I am done with the co-axials and fixed blades now.

Speaking of the Lynx - done out in army camouflage colours and when it flew in front of trees, it disappeared. No kidding. So I stripped it and sprayed it Air Sea Rescue yellow.

That's a bit odd for the 3 cell 11. 1 to the Mk 2 / 2 cell. I cant figure that out at all. You would have thought . .......................

Anyway, I am off to collect the Phantom FC40 soon. Looking forward to that. CJI have the edge on Blade stuff. The host of mods and spares is phenomenal. I have a 2 axis gimbal and a GoPro to put on it but I dont know the definition of the camera that is fitted to it yet. I might be pleasantly surprised.

Have you download GIMP yet?

Scotch Pies : If you are desperate Murdocks butchers in Inverness post them out.

Hi Pete, Thanks for the link,-was well on my way to ordering said pies when i noticed that the postage was pounds9. 85 ! does say on the home page orders over pounds10 then on top of that theres a search box-- i wonder if it should read pounds100! plus they dont list white pudding----------

The heli you are loooking at getting-----any further info ?

air nav order, - we had to read & understand it in our model club so it came as a suprise when visiting a club to find them flying in a local country park ---with members of the public walking round ! not only that it was at the back of our local hospital as well.

Some time later a model ( a fair size one ) flew into a window on the upper floor of the hospital giving the female room occupant a suprise! plane was being flown by an off duty police officer --------- still dont know how they get around the requirements . However i declined to fly there after giving it one go---------- nerve wracking with kids & public at large !

I have written a strong letter to Gregs HQ whinging about the lack of Scotch Pies at their Shrewsbury branch. Its not very much to ask is it. Supply and demand. I did embellish the truth by saying that there were 100 people down here who wanted to buy some. Damm typos!!!

I know Murdocks are expensive but the pies do come in a poly freezer packaging with ice included and courier delivered. That's what adds to the cost. If I remember, the last batch was about twenty something pounds for a dozen. If youse dispirit ya jus got to.

for the details of the Phantom I am going to get. I have seen it fly. The TX looks a bit naff but that's all you need for it. It makes a change from the usual Tx with hundreds of knobs and switches plus DJI have included a gimbal tilt control on the TX too.

Hi Pete, Thanks for that,police -Ah yes -here's one to make you chuckle !

Police bought a quad copter thing ( top of the range no doubt ) fitted with a camera ( top of -you get it ! ) the intention was to use it for Arial surveillance ( members of the public- crowd control etc ) so the lads are out playing with the new toy when one of them "parked it "--- in the river mersey !

david

P. S. they got it back,how they were going to fly over people ( Air Nav Order ) i dont know.

I, as you know have a heli with camera--not good ( ether of them ) so prompted by this i have been looking at the hubsanx4 with the h. d. camera. I am afraid i can not afford the top of the range model - i am a poor, hard up caravaner remember ? BUT - you have started something- when i get mine i will send you the bill Sir !

Before I start, a word of caution. I would like to point out that the larger type of aircraft are NOT toys. They weigh a lot and WILL damage persons and property if they fall or fly into for some reason.

They look fun and you may have seen U-Tube video clips and thought ‘I want to do that’, and everyone says how easy they are to fly because with GPS capability they are stable and safe.

Well, NO ACTUALLY.

In the worst case accident scenario, you could lose your home and your equipment – it has happened.

Before you do buy one, I have to ask you a few questions.

1. If – while you are having fun with your new aircraft – and you accidentally hit and cause damage to a person or to property, are you rich enough to pay for the medical expenses and any other damages that your ‘fun’ aircraft has caused? Can you meet all the necessary legal fees incurred? Or is it a case of “Oooops. Sorry your honour – I was not aware that insurance would be needed”. H’mmmm! Ignorance is NOT bliss. (More about this later)

2. Are you aware of CAA regulations? No? You had better read them before buying an aircraft – for example - a Quadcopter. (More later)

3. Have you had permission to take off and land from the landowner? “Oooops. Sorry your honour – I was not aware ……………”.

4. Are you aware that in some areas of the UK it is forbidden to even TAKE OFF because of CAA Air Traffic control regulations?

There is more and it is up to YOU to be aware of the traps you could be flying into.

I have been witness to someone flying a Quadcopter when the police rolled up – confiscated the pilots equipment, and carted him off to the local nick because regulations had been ignored or not known by the pilot.

All the above might appear to be a load of manure, but its something we have to live with, and in a way I agree, because there will forever be an idiot pilot who will act irresponsibly and cause injury and mayhem and spoil the hobby for responsible pilots. These rules and regulations, hopefully, will do something to prevent this.

1. Get some insurance e. g. (BFMA) British Flying Model Association (UK). Click on the link to view their web site http://www. bmfa. org/

It cost £32 at the time of writing. People have lost their homes to pay compensation to injured parties in the past which shows you how serious this can get, so don’t be stupid and fly it near people – not even the mother-in-law. Its highly advisable to join a flying club to learn the ropes.

Are you asleep yet? Yawning perhaps? No? Good oh. Then, perhaps, you are on the path to being a responsible pilot.

Now you have got a head of regulations, lets tackle the subject of a specific make of Quadcopter, namely the Dji Phantom. The following is a bit tekkie but you should be aware of some of the aspects of the Phantom.

The Phantom FC40 Quadcopter is based on the same platform as the original DJI Phantom and features a detachable First Person View (FPV) camera with Micro SD recording as well as a 6-Channel, 5. 8GHz Transmitter (TX). It is designed to get you started flying and capturing aerial video, the only additional piece of hardware required being your smartphone or other mobile device running iOS or Android. If you use a mobile phone to compose your shots then buy a non reflective matt screen film. It greatly improves the ability to see the screen in daylight.

The FPV camera has a native resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 fps. It features its own 2. 4GHz Wi-Fi transmitter that beams a low-latency, WQVGA resolution (400 x 240 pixels) video feed to a mobile device up to 328' feet line-of-sight away, depending on conditions. Because the transmitter for the FC40 operates on 5. 8GHz, there is no danger of the camera's Wi-Fi causing harmful interference. The camera records video internally to a MicroSD/MicroSDHC memory card, and supports capacities up to 64GB.

As with several other DJI quadcopters, the FC40 uses the Naza-M V2 flight control system to maintain flight stability and provide assisted flying features. Out of the box, the FC40 comes configured with two GPS flight modes, GPS Mode and GPS Attitude Mode. GPS Mode will probably be preferred by beginners as it provides the greatest autopilot redundancy and also holds the aircraft in a fixed hover whenever you release the controls, automatically compensating for drift and light wind. Additional functions can be unlocked using the Naza Assistant Software for desktop computers.

This version of the FC40 aircraft (RTF) "ready-to-fly", meaning that a 6-channel, 5. 8GHz transmitter is included and pre-bound with the aircraft, and that only minimal assembly is required. The transmitter is configured by default to "Mode 2", where the throttle is on the left hand side stick. Mode 2 is considered the most popular in the U. S and the UK. , but may be less familiar to pilots from other countries. As with any multi-rotor system, before flying the Phantom FC40 you will still need to follow all of the proper calibration steps and ensure adequate GPS connectivity for the Naza flight control system to operate correctly.

Supplied Transmitter (TX).

The Phantom FC40 features a 6-channel, 5. 8GHz WI-Fi transmitter, with dual joystick controls similar to the kind found on other multi-rotor RC aircraft transmitters. Defaulted to mode 2, the left stick controls throttle (up/down) and yaw (rotation). And the right stick controls cyclic motion (side-to-side tilt pressing right/left and tilting the nose up or down pressing up/down). A switch on the top right (Switch 1) lets you choose between Attitude and GPS flight modes and a similar switch on the left (Switch 2) lets you select between IOC modes (See below).

Detachable 720p FPV Camera.

A 720p first-person view camera comes with the FC40 and features a wide-angle, 100° field of view lens. It uses a thumbscrew attachment similar to a GoPro mount that allows the camera to be manually tilted up or down before flight. Using a smartphone mounted to the transmitter you can monitor as well as record a low-latency, live video feed from the camera at WQVGA resolution (400 x 240 pixels) using the free FC40 app for iOS and Android. In addition, the camera features a Micro SD slot allowing you to record video internally using cards up to 32GB. A dedicated 2. 4GHz transmitter in the Quadcopter provides the wireless link, and features a line-of-sight range of up to 328 feet depending on conditions. In good bright light this camera is nearly as good as the GoPro series for recording video, but that’s my opinion. To modify the camera equipment, fit a Zenmuse or GoPro gimbal. Banggood Tarot 2 axis gimbals are cheaper but can be a bitch to fit so do research to find the one best for you by looking on U-Tube.

Up to 12 Minutes Flying Time.

The standard 11. 1V, 2200mAh 3S lithium-polymer (LiPo) battery is able to power the FC40 for up to 12 minutes. It can be charged using a variety of RC balance chargers including the supplied charger.

Naza-M V2 Flight Control System

In the FC40 the brains of aircraft is the same Naza-M V2 flight control system as several other DJI models. The software is preconfigured with two available flight modes, GPS Mode and GPS Attitude Mode. Additional modes and other custom configurations can be enabled using the Naza Assistant software, an application available for free download from the DJI website. In addition, the software can download flight data for diagnostic and teaching purposes and well as perform firmware updates.

Attitude and GPS Flight Modes

The FC40 has two GPS - assisted flight modes for you to choose from. Of the two, GPS Mode is the most automatic. In GPS Mode the Quadcopter will stop as soon as you release the controls and stay hovering at a fixed horizontal and vertical position. This setting is the easiest to fly and is generally preferred for shooting video as the Quadcopter won't sway or drift because of light wind gusts.

Attitude Mode

Known as ATTI, this is a manual flying mode in which the FC40 does not try and maintain a fixed spatial position. When you release the controls it will continue to drift unless friction slows it down or you stop it, and in this mode it will be more likely to be blown around if there is any wind. This not a true manual mode, however, in that the GPS navigation system is still used to maintain flight stability and by the "return to home" feature in the event of signal loss.

You must get used to the ATTI modes as soon as you can because you have to pilot the aircraft and have greater control rather than relying on automatic systems, which, lets face it, could fail at any time and without warning.

Return to Home Failsafe.

If the FC40 loses the signal from the controller for any reason the "return to home" feature will initialize. The aircraft will ascend to 60 feet then make a straight-line course back to the "home position" you will have defined during the GPS calibration process. Once there, it will safely descend to the ground and power itself off.

(IOC) Intelligent Orientation Control.

IOC will enable the aircraft to head in the direction you move the right hand stick no matter which way the aircraft is pointing. To enable this feature you will need to use the Naza Assistant Software.

LED Status Indicator

LED status lights on the tail of the FC40 provide you with various feedback as well as warnings. Colours alternate between green, amber and red and can either be flashing or solid. These messages give you valuable information such as whether the GPS system is properly calibrated, warning you the battery is getting low, or telling you the transmitters signal is out of range or not functioning. Don’t take off too soon either. Wait 20 seconds or so after the green LED has appeared, and if there are any red flashes with the green then don’t rely on GPS to give you a stable flight.

Self-Tightening 8" Propellers

The propellers screw on directly without requiring a separate prop nut. This design is self-tightening so there is no danger of a loose prop coming off in flight.

Flyaway’s. (Lose total control suddenly)

Don’t think it is ONLY the Phantoms that do this. I write from experience that the Blade 350QX also does this too.

Why is this happening, especially with beginners?

These problems are mainly traced back to two causes :-

A: Radio interference.

Interference can be caused by mobile phones, mobile telephone transmitters, Wi-Fi networks and camera wi-fi. . (The wi-fi on a GoPro camera itself if the aircraft control system is using the 2. 4 Ghz band.)

Before you plan to take off have a visual look around the area and if you see any masts, then expect trouble.

You can see that using a GoPro camera wi-fi is definitely not a good idea to use on a Blade 350QX or a Phantom 2 for example.

The Transmitter :-

The supplied white transmitter operates normally in most cases, however, it is found that near Wifi Jammers they can crash and lockup. These Wi-fi Jammers are used by larger companies to protect against intrusions of their wireless network, so keep away from large buildings and structures. (Which you should not be near in any case).

B:- The loss of GPS lock, also called "Blow Away" where the aircraft switches to Atti. Mode and is blown away by the wind.

The receiver in a Phantom receives only a very weak signal, as the power of the transmitter (Only 100 mW) is emitted in a circular pattern and the signal acts as though it is shredded and the aircraft receiver may receive less than 0. 1 mW. To prevent further degradation of the transmitted signal, never let the transmitter antenna point in the direction of the aircraft, but always have the antennas parallel to each other.

Always download from www. dji. com to check that the failsafe position is active using the PC Naza assistant. How to check this is in the Basic RC menu at the bottom in the wizard. If the transmitter locks up, or is jammed, a Failsafe signal will not be transmitted to the aircraft and the return to home function will not work and this can be made worse by loss of GPS signals. The Phantom Vision operates on 5,8 Ghz for the radio control signals and the video down link is 2. 4 Ghz. . The standard range of the Vision is a maximum of 300 Metres (330 Yards.) Don’t try to fly its to its limits because it becomes susceptible to low levels of interference which can cause loss of control. Another possible cause of a "fly away" is not calibrating the throttle stick in the NAZA assistant and checking it regularly. This can lead to an irregular or jerky behaviour of the throttle, and in some cases, a complete engine shut down.

Loss or problems of GPS and magnetic compass. The most common cause of a “flyaway” is losing the GPS signal. The positions of satellites change and the GPS receiver sees and continuously loses several satellites. If the NAZA controller of your aircraft looses too many satellites, it will no longer stay in GPS mode and it switches automatically to Attitude mode without any warning.

It is NOT advisable to rely on the GPS mode. The GPS Navigation is just a tool.

There are several other factors that will cause loss of GPS mode.

1. After a crash, the internal GPS system might be damaged.

2. High trees can degrade the GPS satellite signal which blocks the signal and so can flying under trees.

3. You are next to a tall building which blocks the satellites in the same way.

4. You stand next to a railway line, high voltage pylons, or a car. These create a magnetic field that will cause problems.

5. The plug of the magnetic compass is loose or there is a battery mounted near the GPS antenna.

6. You have taken off without waiting for the second wave of green signal pulses that indicates the position Home position is stored. It may even prevent the controller from holding an old position of a previous flight in the memory, and in the case of a Failsafe tries to flies to that position.

7. Know in what mode the aircraft is in. (Read the manual and learn the colour codes of the LED). Each series of red flashes of the LED is a serious problem, and you have to land immediately.

8. Home lock position has never been logged, or the blinking of the Led’s is mistaken for another message.

9. The antenna of the transmitter is wrongly positioned.

10. The aircraft is too far away.

11. The flight time was not monitored.

12. You will be disoriented at far distances and therefore, uncontrollable because you cannot see the orientation of the aircraft.

Always stay in range of good visual contact and learn to orientate the front and back and learn to fly nose in. Practice flying sideways, do not completely rely on the IOC. These help too Click :- HERE

A pilot must become proficient in manually flying in manual mode with the aircraft.

This is in case you lose satellites and other support modes.

Updating Firmware and Software!

Always follow the latest instructions that can be found on the website of DJI. . There is also the latest version of the Naza assistant to be found and you can update your DJI Controller to the latest soft and firmware. At the time of writing there been already some changes in the software that can help prevent a flyaway. The receiver failsafe has been improved and there are modifications written into the programme that if interference is experienced then the system will fail safe and return home.

So link your Phantom to the computer at least once a month and update the software if necessary.

And finally, I conclude with some tips and advice with regard to Lithium Polymer batteries. Unless these type of batteries are handled carefully and charged with a good quality charger they have been known to burst into fire and / or explode.

Purchase good quality battery packs ONLY. Cheap Far East cells are a bad investment with regards to life, performance and safety.

Li-Po batteries cells do not have a “memory” unlike Ni-Cad’s and therefore they SHOULD NOT be cycled.

Where ever possible always use a cell balancer charger. A Cell balancer will keep the cells within a pack at the same voltage, and greatly helps the pack maintain it’s peak performance and prolong it’s life. A cell

balancer will also give you the 1st indication that a single cell within a pack is failing. If one of the LED’s on the balancer remains constantly on during the charge cycle this is an indication that one of the cells is failing. A failing cell can cause the other cells in the pack to become over charged, which can result in a fire.

If you draw the absolute maximum current from your cells and fly until your ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) cuts power to your motors and you charge your cells to 4. 20V per cell at 1C then you may get as few as 30-50 cycles from your cells.

If your aircraft shows a ‘low battery’ warning, take heed and land within a minute. I have had a useless, unchargeable battery because I didn’t do this.

DO NOT “top up” your cells before flight. Apart from being unnecessary there is a chance of overcharging your cells which will damage them and possibly cause a fire.

I have bought ( and received ) a hubsan x4 107c. Having gone through "the book" i set it up and powered it up ----- litraly ! went up like a home sick Angel. Tried to bring it to order ( in our front room - wife out ! ) and eventualy broke a propeller. Replaced same and away again only to find that it did not take much to cause it to shed a prop. The book does tell you to push the props on each time you land but---- i can feel a mod coming on ! I have ordered some spare batterys ---- and propellers !

So,-

1) power to weight ratio is very good

2) its small ( very ) and can move like a scalded cat !

3) Despite what might be said it takes some learning ( or is it just me ? )

4) The propellers come off easily

5) The instructions are not too bad -- bit of chinese english here and there.

6) I now feel that a slightly larger model would be better bet.

So the model is having a rest for the moment, not tried the camera out as of yet-- did hope to get a model with still/ video but on looking at the vid clips on youtube of whats available found the quality of the cameras debatable.

Sorry to hear your woes. If its any help, I started off with a small 4 engine mini quad - a Hubsan V2 and I found it hard to control, and so did an experienced quad flyer in our club. In the end I swopped it for a new chain saw blade.

With regards to aerial photography, the most favoured camera is a GoPro - the hero range, but they don't come cheap but they do take some amazing video and stills - but then you have to have an aircraft that has the lifting power.